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(ModeL) J. A MOFFAT.

POTATO FEELING MACHINE.

Patented Feb.2 '7, 1883.

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PATENT 01mins.

JOHN MOFFAT, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

POTATO-FEELING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,125, dated February27, 1883.

Applicationfilcd October 10, 184-52. (Model) 7 .T 0 all whom it mayconcern Be it known that I, JOHN ALBERT MOFFAT,

a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, re-

tions; and it consists essentially in providing a stationary fork forholding the potato, and arranged to act as a pivot for a revolving framecarrying the peeling-knife, which is caused to travel vertically by theaction of a screw, and is held by a suitable spring to permit theautomatic adjustment of the knife to suit the size and shape of thepotato being peeled.

Figure 1. is a perspective view of the machine complete. Fig. 2 is aperspective detail, I showing mechanism for holding and operating thecutting-knife.

In the drawings, A is a tripod or other suitably-shaped stand, designedto be screwed or otherwise attached to a table.

B is a spindle fitting into a hole in the center of the stand A in sucha" manner that it may readily be withdrawn therefrom, but cannotrevolve.

O is a light metal frame, designed to fit over and revolve upon thespindle B, suitable bearings, as indicated in the drawings, being formedin the frame O to receive the spindleB.

D is a fork formed upon or attached to the upper end of the spindle B.

E is an adjustable cross head, fitting over and sliding upon verticalguides 6, formed on the inside of the frame 0, as shown. A notch oro'pening,f, is cut through one of the guides e, which permits'thecross-head E to be readily placed in position. The potato F, or otherarticle to be peeled, is first placed on the fork D, and the cross-headE adjusted so that its single prong f fits into the other end of thepotato.

Gris a screw passing through bearings formed on the lugs H. p

I is a knife frame provided with holes, through which the screw Gpasses. A grooved cross-head or block, J, formed on the knifeframe I,fits over a vertical guide, 3', to prevent the frame revolving, whilepermitting it to move freely vertically. In order to connect theknife-frame to the screw, I pivotupon the frame an arm, K, having ahalf-nut formed on it at the point where it comes in contact with thescrew G. I

L is a spring arranged to hold the half-nut against the screw. I maymention here that the arm K is provided with a spindle, K,'set at rightangles to it, and arranged so that one end of the spindle fits into ahole made in the upper portion of the frame I, while the lower end ofthe spindle fits into a notch formed in the bottom of the frame I'. Thespring L is wound round the spindle K, the upper end of the springpassing round the lug 1, formed on the arm K, while the other end passesround a lug formed in the frame I.

M is a knife-holder provided with a spindle, m, the upper end of whichfits into a hole made in the upper part of the frame I, while its lowerend is pivoted in a notch made in the lower portion of the frame I. Thespring N is wound round the spindle m, one end of the spring passinground a lug, a, formed on the knife-holder M, while the other endof thespring passes over a similar lug formed in the knife-frame I, thestrength of the spring being arranged to direct the end of theknife-holder toward the center of theframe 0. A tail-piece, M,projecting behind the pivotal point of the knife-holder M, is arrangedto come in contact with the arm K for the purpose of throwing thehalf-nut formed in the arm K clear of. the screw G, in order to permitthe free vertical adjustment of the said frame upon the said screw. Theend of the knife-holder M is shaped, as shown, to receive .the curvedknife 0, which knife is adjustable upon the holder M, so that thethickness of the skin to be removed may be regulated by adjusting theknife and altering the distance between it and the lip p, formed on theend of the holder M.

From the foregoing description the general 5 construction of mypeeling-machine will be understood and its simplicity appreciated.

The cross-head E can, it will be seen, be readily adjusted to suit thevarious diameters of potatoes which maybe peeled.

g warm spindle B the knife 0 is caused to travel round the potato,cutting off the skin to any desiredthickness,thespringNbeingsufficientlystrong to hold theknife to its workwhile the halfnut formed on the arm K causes the knifeframe to movevertically, thus producing the desired movement for removing the skinoff thepotato. As each potato is peeled the crosshead 1*] is lifted upand the potato can be taken off the fork I). The knife-holder beingthrown back, the half-nut formed on the arm K is carried clear of thescrew, permitting the knife- 'frame to be moved freely downward to itsinitial position. As the potato peelings are removed they accumulateround the base, as indicated in the drawings. When it is desired toremove them it is merely necessary to lift the spindle B out of thestand A. By arranging a machine in which the potato is heldstationary-and I am enabled to hold it between two pivotal points-thepotato is much easier placed in position and removed when peeled.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, in a potatopeelingmawith the knife-holding frame I, arranged to carry the knife-holder,and havingpivoted upon it an arm, K, with a half-nut out in it to fitagainst the screw, substantially as and for the 7 potato is held on astationary fork, the knifeholder M, having fixed to one of its ends acurved knife, 0, and pivoted at its other end to a vertically-adjustableframe, I, in combination with a spring, N, arranged to force the knifeagainst the potato, as and for the purpose specified.

at. The knife-holder M, pivoted to the frame I, and provided with atail-piece, M, in combination with the arm K, also pivoted to the frameI, and having a half-nut formed on it, and the screw-shaft Gr,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The frame I, having pivoted upon it the knife-holder M, and-beingheld to the frame 0 by the cross-head J, fitting onto the guidej, and bythe screw G, pivoted in the lugs H and passing through holes in theframe I, as specified, in combination with the arm K, pivoted to theframe I, and having a half-nut formed on it and arranged to come incontact with.

JOHN A, MOFFAT. Witnesses:

A. M. WAL'roN, Tnos. G. HAsLET'r.

